Visual Revolutionary

Legendary music photographer and Grammy nominated director Danny Clinch joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in a blue collar family in Toms River, NJ to falling in love with photography and music at an early age, to pursuing an education at the New England School of photography, to working with and assisting Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Mary Ellen Mark, Timothy White, and others, to finding his own voice as an artist and building an incredible career as one of most sought after photographers in the music business.  During our conversation Danny talks about his early days with Spin Magazine, shooting the record cover for Nas's "Illmatic", being on tour with Blind Melon, booking shoots for Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen on the same day, building long lasting relationships and friendships with some of the most well known musicians in the world that has given him a level of access all music fans dream about, and so much more.  It's a beautiful conversation on a life well lived.  

On this episode I'm joined by editorial and commercial photographer Yve Assad from her home in Nashville to talk about how she went from growing up in a small town in the south with a love of music and an interest in what was going on in the rest of the world, to studying photojournalism at the University of Georgia, to creating a thesis project based around the characters she found at a biker bar, to working for a small town paper, to finally chasing her dream of going out on her own and photographing the motorcycle culture she fell in love with in college.  During our conversion Yve talks about what it was like to travel the country for years photographing the world of flat track motorcycle racing, how that provided her the opportunity to work with brands like Harley Davidson and publications like Iron and Resin, the way she was able to transition into working in the advertising world with everyone from Filson to Ford, and the advice she gives to others out there chasing their own creative dreams.   To Lear

Photographer, custom jewelry maker, graphic designer, and all around curious creative individual Steve West joins the show to talk about his journey from Asheville, NC, to the Navy, to corporate designer, to creating the successful jewelry company "Silver Piston", to forming a friendship and photography relationship with Killer Mike from Run the Jewels and falling in love with portrait photography and a new calling in life.  During our conversation, Steve talks about constantly seeking creative fulfillment through the career path of graphic design in his early years, but realizing that it would be personal projects that would not only scratch that itch, but end up changing his life's goals all together.  We also talk about how a 52 year old white guy, with no preexisting knowledge of trap music, suddenly became a sought after photographer for some of Atlanta's rising hip hop talent and found himself frequenting Killer Mike's barbershop and running in circles that would open all kinds of creative doors for him

Award winning photographer/director Joey Lawrence (aka Joey L.) joins the show to talk about how he went from photographing his musician friends in high school, to shooting portraits of celebrities like Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence, to traveling the globe extensively in the pursuit of some of the most ambitious personal projects ever discussed on this podcast.  Although he's now old enough to not be the youngest person on his sets anymore, Joey L. is still a young face in the industry, but at age 30 his portfolio is packed with work most older veterans could only dream of. Over the years he has continued to hone his craft and blur the lines between his personal work and his commercial projects, earning him coveted spots like the Lavazza calendar is 2016, previously shot by other top photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger.  Joey gives us an insiders look at what goes into creating his personal work, how he stays organized with his schedule, why he feels "burn out" is no longer an issue for

On this episode I'm joined by commercial, adventure, travel, and landscape photographer Lars Schneider to talk about how he went from an only child growing up in Hamburg Germany with an adventurous father and a love of nature, to traveling the world as a respected outdoor photographer, working with brands like Patagonia and now teaching his own workshops based around the nordic landscapes he loves.  During our conversation Lars tells stories about many of the bike touring adventures he took around the globe while still in his teens, his first published photos at age 15, the guidebooks he worked tirelessly on while trying to make a name for himself, how he went about creating commercial work while traveling with his now wife and creative partner, what's it's like to run your own workshops in the Faroe Islands, how he built a relationship with Hasselblad cameras, and the advice he gives to those following their own creative paths.   To Learn More About Lars Schneider Visit: https://www.larsschneider.com/ov/ls/

Surf and commercial lifestyle and travel photographer Mark O. McInnis joins the podcast to talk about growing up in a small town in Oregon and his love of snowboarding, skateboarding, and later surfing, that would end up pushing him toward the goal of making a career capturing the moments surrounding him.  Moving into the Thanksgiving holiday here in the states, it's also a beautiful conversation about loss, adversity, and keeping a since of gratitude in the midst of it all.  During our conversation Mark talks about the tragic wildfire that recently burned down his house and all his belongings and his slow rebuilding of life after that, how losing both the amazing men that raised him taught him about chasing his dreams in life and being in the present moment, how he managed to build a career based around the ocean and lifestyle he loved so much, and the advice he gives to those out there trying to live their best lives.   To Learn More About Mark Visit: https://www.markmcinnis.com And Follow Him on Instagram

Respected photojournalist and documentarian Michael Christopher Brown returns to the podcast to talk about his journey in overcoming trauma and PTSD, and the different modalities that have helped him achieve that goal.  We also discuss the recent backlash to some of his work on Skid Row for National Geographic and his thoughts on how we need to come together as a creative community and lift each other up instead of promoting more division.  Make sure to check out Michael's original full length biographical story (Episode #58) to hear about his journey.  During this conversation we have an open and honest discussion about how cancel culture has made it's way into the photography community, the level of civil discourse and communication that is needed today more than ever to truly understand each other's motivations, and the hope he has for this country as we move forward.   To Learn More About Michael Christopher Brown Visit: https://michaelchristopherbrown.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.insta

Commercial lifestyle photographer and director Keena joins me to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in a small town in Massachusetts with a love of skateboarding and music, to slowly creating a name for himself in the world of Boston commercial photography, to traveling across the world multiple times in search of the best natural photographic moments, to moving to San Francisco and finally finding his voice as an artist and an agent and clients who wanted to invest in it, to his move to Colorado to raise his kids and continue to grow his client roster.  During our conversation we talk about his most recent shoot for Converse in New York and what the current Covid restrictions looked like and how they have affected his work process, how he continues to stay relevant and inspired in the world of youth culture, what brands are currently looking for in the world of advertising imagery, and the advice he gives to others chasing their own visual dreams.   To Learn More About Keena Visit: http://www.keena

Photographer/Director Michael Grecco returns to the show to talk about his new book "Punk Post Punk New Wave.....Onstage, Backstage, In Your Face 1978-1991" where he presents a never before seen archive of his years shooting the exploding punk scene of Boston, and all the familiar faces that made their way in front of his camera.  Make sure to check out Michael's original episode of the podcast (back on episode #62) to hear the whole story of his career.  During this conversation we talk about what made him finally want to create this book, what it felt like to be a young photographer experiencing a moment of music history, how punk affected the music industry and youth culture for years to come, and the amount of work that went into putting together this beautiful visual presentation.   To Learn More About the Book Visit: https://daysofpunk.com/# To Learn More About Michael Grecco Visit: https://michaelgrecco.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/michaelgrecco/ To Learn More About Vis

Director Hannu Salonen and Director of Photography Felix Cramer from Netflix's new show "Oktoberfest Beer and Blood" join the podcast to talk about their journey from film students in Germany to building a career in film and television that would lead to working together on this beautiful visual presentation of historical fiction.  During our conversation we talk about what they are currently working on and how it's been effected by Covid, how they went about creating some of the amazing long one take shots that help to set Oktoberfest apart from other shows, where they draw creative inspiration from and how they keep from getting burned out, and the advice they give to others hoping to one day tell their own stories.   To Learn More About Oktoberfest Beer and Blood Visit: https://www.netflix.com/title/81249469 To Learn More About Hannu Salonen Visit: http://www.hannusalonen.com To Learn More About Felix Cramer Visit: https://www.felixcramer.de To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visual

Commercial director, filmmaker, photographer, and friend of the show, Sinuhe Xavier returns to make an in person appearance at the Visual Revolutionary studio and have a discussion about why he's made the decision to start splitting up his time in LA to a more personally satisfying existence in the mountains of Colorado, how he's been affected by the current commercial production regulations and protocols, and what he's been up to since we last spoke.  Make sure to check out Sinuhe's full biographical story way back on Episode #11, but during this conversation we talk about his return to a more personal approach to shooting photos, how he continues to stay relevant in an ever changing commercial industry, the changes the pandemic might bring to the way we shoot and where we are based out of, and the advice he gives to others out there trying to re-inspire themselves in uncertain times.   To Learn More About Sinuhe Xavier Visit: https://www.sinuhexavier.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram

On this episode of the podcast, I'm joined by Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist and Getty images staff photographer Michael Santiago to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic with hard working parents to moving to the Bronx at age 7 and falling in love with art and literature, to finally finding photography and a passion for telling visual stories of the world that was around him.  During our conversation Michael tells me about the string of jobs in his 20s that finally lead him back to school where he ended up pursuing a Masters Degree and becoming a passionate photojournalist, the tragic story of Antwon Rose that he covered for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and where he finally found his voice as an artist, why he made the move back to New York and started working with Getty Images, and the advice he gives to others trying to tell their own story.   To Learn More About Michael Santiago Visit: https://www.msantiagophotos.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.insta

An old Vail friend and amazing long time accomplished ski and adventure photographer Jeff Cricco joins the podcast to talk about his move to the mountain town of Vail in the early 90s, the string of resort and restaurant jobs that finally led him to chasing his love of photography, his longtime relationship with Powder Magazine and the unfortunate recent news that they are closing shop, and how he has remained relevant in the young man's game of chasing light in the backcountry for so many years.  During our conversation Jeff and I talk about the "good ole" days of ski resort towns like Vail, how a Grateful Dead show on McNichols arena in 94 ended up inspiring him with the resolve to be a full time photographer, the ups and downs of the life of a ski photographer, his time working as a guide in Alaska, what the future of the adventure photography industry might look like, and the advice he gives to others out there chasing their own dreams of capturing life in the mountains.   Follow Jeff Cricco on Instagram

Advertising and fine art photographer/director, and friend of the show, Bo Bridges returns to make a very impromptu third appearance on the podcast and talk about his recent licensing deal with Marvel to produce a clothing line sold at Target, as well as all the challenges he has faced of being a world traveling photographer due to covid, and how he has continued to be creative in his approach to diversifying his work and his business relationships to be able to weather this storm.  During our conversation we talk about how he has continued to busy himself with personal projects during these challenging times and how some of them have already paid off monetarily, what the future of brick and mortar gallery spaces might look like, how he and his team tried to get creative in their marketing efforts to draw more people towards the prints sales side of the business, and the advice he gives to those in fear of what the future might hold.   To Learn More About Bo Bridges Visit: http://www.bobridges.com And Follow

Surf, water, and lifestyle photographer and Fujifilm Ambassador Russell Ord joins the podcast to talk about his journey from professional rugby player to firefighter to respected surf and water photographer and how he took the steps of building a photography career while maintaining a full-time job and raising a family.  During our conversation we talk about how the discipline it took to become a professional athlete helped him build a photography career, what it's like shooting in the impact zone of some of biggest waves in the world, the documentary film "One Shot" that showcased his life and work, the fear of leaving behind the security of a comfortable income to go all in as a photographer, and the advice he gives to others chasing their own creative dreams.   To Learn More About Russell Ord Visit: https://www.russellordphoto.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/russellordphoto/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram

Commercial automotive and car culture photographer, on camera personality, and Canon Explorer of Light Larry Chen joins the show to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in southern California with a passion for cars, to falling in love with photography, becoming a paparazzi, and finally realizing his dream of being one of most recognizable figures in motorsports photography shooting for everyone from the Hoonigan Crew to Toyota.  During out conversation Larry tells me what it was like chasing Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton around in the heyday of paparazzi work, how that helped him foot the bill to chase his dreams of one day becoming a car photographer, what it takes to try and make a name for yourself in the automotive world, the work ethic he always brings to the table, shooting for 24 hours straight at La Mas, and the advice he give to others who have similar dreams.   To Learn More About Larry Chen Visit: https://www.larrychenphoto.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/lar

On this episode of the podcast I'm joined by music, editorial, and commercial photographer/director David McClister to talk about how he went from growing up in Knoxville, TN with a love of skateboarding and punk rock, to trying to make his own feature length film, to directing music videos for some of the top artists coming out of the Nashville scene, to shooting still photography of everyone from Johnny Cash to Chris Cornell.  During our conversation we talk about how he found photography and his creative calling at a young age, what it was like making the transition from motion capture to photography and the creative inspiration he gets from both mediums, the change he's seen come about lately in the business, what it was like shooting the Man in Black, hanging with Tyler Childers at Red Rocks, how he manages to continue to stay inspired, why he might walk away from his amazing archive one day and leave photography behind, and the advice he gives to others coming up.   To Learn More About David McClister V

Back with all new episodes next week, but until then enjoy another one from the archives featuring one of my favorite creatives and human beings Jeff Johnson, where he talks about his early years as a flight attendant and lifeguard on the north shore, what inspired him to want to begin to document the world around him, the trip to Patagonia with Yvon Chouinard that would become the basis of the beautiful travel film "180 Degrees South", and his continued work as a photographer, director, and ambassador for some of the biggest named outdoor brands in the world   To Learn More About Jeff Johnson Visit: http://www.jeffjohnsonstories.com And Follow Him On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffjohnson_beyondandback/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: http://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

This week on the show I turn to the archives for another "Best Of" featuring renowned fine art photographer, documentarian, and true student of time and light, Stephen Wilkes.  Many of you might know Stephen from his beautifully produced series "Day to Night" which he is still traveling the world working on now and has broken the boundaries of how much time you can capture in a single photograph.  That being said, Stephen has had a very storied career that dates back to his early teens and spans an impressive body of work and a list of clients that include some of the most respected curators of photography there are.  As you look through some of his earlier street photography, documentary work, and fine art photographs, you can really understand how it all culminates into the current experiment and study of time, light, place, and human existence that "Day to Night" is.  At age 12 Stephen first started taking pictures, and it wasn't long before he was diving head first into the art form and the business of ph

Portrait and lifestyle photographer, author, and teacher Chris Orwig joins the show to talk about searching for himself through the eyes of his subjects and how photography saved his life when he needed it most.  As a kid growing up in Northern California with an artist mom and a builder dad, Chris was exposed to a perfect balance of creativity and the legacy of a tangible structure.  Although it took him a while to find his own creative voice and how to express it, once photography came into his life he realized he had something to say.  The rest is history, and Chris has not only gone on to have a successful career as a photographer, but has acted as a teacher and a mentor to many photography students for years.  During out conversation Chris tells me how getting hit by a car ended up introducing him to photography, how he developed his style as a portrait photographer and how empathy and curiosity play into that practice, why he decided to become and teacher and a mentor, and the advice he gives to others,